Born of Love
by Seriiyah
Summary: Learning a bit about life and death. Writen for a friend who died in childbirth.


-1Title: Born of Love

Author: Seriiyah

Contact:

Genre:JRR Tolkien

Characters: Glorfindel

Rating: G

Summary: Learning a little of life and death. It was wrote for a  
friend who recently died in childbirth. Perhaps a bit AU since I  
toyed with his parents.

He tromped across the flowers in relentless pursuit of the insect. A  
squeal pierced the normal sounds of nature as the elfling bounded  
down the grassy hill and on his face a smile that could rival a  
hobbit's.

He looked behind him to ensure he was justly followed by his father  
for that was the entire point of the game. The dragonfly a mere  
distraction as he lead his father to the peace of the stream.

His father beamed as he chased his son. Indeed, he could have caught  
him long ago but his son enjoyed the game so he would indulge him. He  
found his feet treading familiar grounds as he looked to the babbling  
brook and the grassy banks. He looked above them to see the canopy  
that had been long forgotten.

A small grasp has his hand as if to remind him that he stood there.  
Finally he looked to the golden haired elfling. "Have the days turned  
to years before us?" He peered through the branches as he found  
beautiful but familiar sights. Thrust into his face with a squeal was  
a white flower and he smiled as bee sailed out slowly. "You should  
not interrupt nature." He gently scolded the youth.

A Face was all he could see as he looked along the brook. She had  
been there in a joyful pain and with a labor of love. He remembered  
her face and entire birth of their son.

He remembered it well:

_She had been there in nature's peace to give him back the seed he had  
bestowed upon her in but a year's time. Panting breath and a cry once  
in a while was her only show of discomfort. He had not left her side  
and he kept her hand firmly enclosed in his as he tried to help and  
guide her through pains he had never known._

_With each pain he slowly swore to himself he would not give her  
another child to bear because he could not see her pained. It did not  
stop his joy now as he watched her get to a position slowly and he  
quickly understood his son would be born soon._

_She cried out and he died a little each time, "think of our strapping  
son... tales, lore, myth and fantasy will sing his name." He brushed  
fevered lips to her forehead as she pushed the small elfling to  
birth. He tied the cord, cleared the mouth and raised the babe to  
suckle when he noticed the look in her eyes,_

_He buckled at the sight of her, "my love?" She no longer looked  
pained but no longer of this world and his eyes pooled with unshed  
tears._

_"Stay with him, be strong and teach him what it is to be strong..."  
Her voice was so far away and she already bore the look, the call to  
Mandos._

_To be strong, to be strong without her by his side. She had breathed  
life to his very soul and now she gave it again as he held the  
squirming bundle. The child looked to him but shut it's eyes with a  
tired look of it's own._

_He held the babe to her for inspection but her vacant and glassy  
stare meant one thing. His fingers touched her face and as they did  
they pulled her eyelids closed. "Strong, not strong enough for my  
beloved..." He kissed her head as he thought of her going to peace  
in Mandos where there was no more pain._

_The babe lay there in his arms and he looked to the child. He took  
his mother's cape and wrapped the babe in it then placed him on to  
inspect him. Curls that put to shame the flowers in the meadows and  
eyes as vivid as his mother's but a smile of mirth and amusement,  
even in sleep. _

_"Glorfindel..." He said softly, "this day you know birth but one day  
you will know far more. You are destined for greatness for I have  
seen it in your eyes." The babe curled to his chest and in the other  
arm he held his beloved. _

_Life and death a perfect scenario yet bittersweet in it's  
presentation as he carried his loved ones and he carried them both to  
peace._

To this day he thanked his son:

"Aye, you are strong." He felt her in the wind kissing his face and  
he felt her voice on the breeze calling their names. The water seemed  
to ripple as if to show her unforgotten face.

"You will never be without her, Glorfindel," his father pulled him  
into his arms and sat by a weeping willow. "She has not left you  
behind, when the breeze blows your hair then that is your mother's  
touch. When you feel the tree's shade that is her embrace or the  
sun's warmth is only a kiss to her boy. The grass along your feet is  
her way of tickling you... and the when the willow moves around is  
it your mother's way of saying she loves you."

He kissed his head as watched the joy spread over his son's face at  
the idea of his mother being a part of the ominous world around them  
and he climbed onto his father's shoulder.

"She really watches, father?"

"Indeed she does, Glorfindel."

"Then she sees me?" He pulled his father's hair to keep his balance  
as his father walked along the brook. Peering to the water he looked  
for his mother or a resemblance of her. It was not what he saw but  
what the child felt and when he closed his eyes the sun kissed him  
gently.

"Aye, she would watch you grow tall and strong, as she wished."

"Then I will help her grow too. I will be tall, strong, honorable and  
ever so smart so she grows proud


End file.
